Over the past few days, following the public launch of iOS 6.1 which brings LTE connectivity support to the Apple iPhone 5, I've been receiving numerous inquiries from my readers about how they could finally enjoy ultra-fast LTE speeds on their smartphone after installing the firmware upgrade.

Yesterday, I forwarded the top 8 questions that I got thus far from you guys to the PR departments of Apple's official network carriers in the Philippines, Globe Telecom and Smart Communications. Mr. Elijah Mendoza, Smart Communications' Senior Public Affairs Officer, immediately sent a reply answering all queries and as promised, allow me to share them with you.

1. Which subscribers can get LTE on their Smart iPhone 5 after installing iOS 6.1?

Currently, only Smart iPhone 5 [postpaid] subscribers that availed of Plans 999, 2499, 1500, 2000, and 3000 last Christmas can use LTE.

2. Will it be available to prepaid and other postpaid subscribers?

Yes, Prepaid and other Postpaid subscribers [will get it] soon. Will keep you posted.

3. Do they need to swap their current Nano SIM cards for an LTE SIM to get the connection?

[No need for] those mentioned in number 1. As for the rest, I'm not sure yet. Will advise once they have LTE.

4. Will it be a free upgrade?

[Mark of TP: For those mentioned in number 1, I believe it will be a free upgrade in the meantime.]

5. If not, up to when will it be free?

LTE on the Smart iPhone 5 is free and unlimited until April 30, 2013.

6. Can users across the Philippines enjoy LTE speeds?

We have LTE present in over 300 cell sites serving more than 770 establishments across 10 cities in Metro Manila, and also in Boracay, Cebu, and Davao.

7. If subscribers in number 1 want to keep the LTE speeds after the promo, how much will the new plan cost?

No details on this yet.

8. Up to what speeds can users expect to get from their new Smart iPhone 5 LTE phones?

Per our testing we are clocking in at around 25 to 35Mbps but the real test would be to use it on sites [requiring heavy data usage] such as Youtube or Dropbox.

There you go, TP Friends. Let me know if you have more questions by leaving a comment below. Will post Globe Telecom's answers to the similar questions in a bit.